Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Dec 2025 (Cherry Creek) First visit: Jun 2000 (Cherry Creek) Other locations: Downtown; Littleton; Broomfield This is only my third time to Cherry Cricket, all at the original location. It was Rude Dante who introduced me to this fine establishment 25 years ago, and appropriately enough, we met again here just prior to Christmas. It's been many years since Rude and I dined together, something we both said we should rectify for 2026. Cherry Cricket is an old tavern like setup deep within the most posh and wealthy area of Denver. I wouldn't be surprised if there were efforts in the past to have it bulldozed. Though today it stands as a beacon of nostalgia in an otherwise sleek and steel environment. It's as comfy as an old pair of shoes. We both ordered their signature Pale Ale (made by 4 Noses) and went about scouring the menu. I settled on a Cherry Cricket cheeseburger with smoked cheddar, and it comes with pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce on the side. I had to ...

The RJG Rotation concept had many iterations throughout 2025. I've made many changes to the formula. And, as promised, here is the annual analysis. As before, Colorado Springs is the default. Here are the existing places that continues in the RJG Rotation: Fuzzy's Taco Shop (since 2011) La Choza - Santa Fe (2014) Perea's - Albuquerque (2016) Del Taco (2018) Interesting story here as noted in the blog entry. The franchisee went out of business. Corporate stepped in, and reopened the remaining three locations. And improved them immensely! Thought we may have lost them again like in DFW. Phantom Canyon Brewing (2018) Quijotes Mexican (2018) Walter's303 Pizzeria (2018) Joey's Pizza (2018) Zapata Taco Shop (2019) Taste of Philly (2020) Birdcall (2021). This is the only local Rotation place we didn't make this year. But meant to. South Jersey Subs (2021). Almost missed them too! Sugarlump Ice Cream - Westcliffe (2021) In-N-Out Burger (2022) Whataburger (2022) Leon Ges...

Latest visit: Dec 2025 First visit: Jul 2009 Papa Jose's Union Cafe is another restaurant in Pueblo, like Rita's, that I've infrequently been to. This is only my third visit in 16 years, the other two Mrs. RJG was with me. We really enjoyed our first two trips here, so it's curious that it's taken me so long to get back. However, as stated before, Pueblo is loaded with good restaurants, and I'm not here all that much. I'm still trying for once a month now that I'm retired, but that doesn't always happen regardless. The restaurant is in downtown, near B Street Cafe, another RJG favorite that I don't get to as much as I would prefer. I used the same public parking lot. That's another aspect of Pueblo I love - free downtown parking. In the past, Papa Jose's was counter service, but today they seat you and full service commences. And good service at that. Though they serve beer, I was here for an early lunch (they open at 11, and that's w...

And look who's back! Rude Date is on the scoreboard for 2025, and promises more. Kayenta. Interesting. Mr. RJG stopped over there for one night way back in 1994, pre-Mrs. RJG and Rude Dante. My dinner was in Flagstaff that particular night, however.  OK, let's see what he has for us today. Just looked at Amigo Cafe's website. They claim to be "World Famous" (haha) and established in 1983. Also notice that Rude Dante is eating off other's plates. Times are hard. --- On the drive from Grand Junction (CO) to Grand Canyon (AZ), we found this joint on the drive. Ordered:  1) Sisters Burrito w/chicken & a Mexican Coke. A little sweet, great flavor, pumpkin mole, who knew? 2) Tres Enchilada Plate (beef) w/ green chile, coffee AND a Dr Pepper 3) Chile Relleno plate w/ ice tea Dessert: Apple Pie Nachos All good - even a little fancy. We were hungry after a 5-ish hour drive. All looked good, so I went with one of waitress’s faves (Sisters). Also tasted the green chi...

Latest visit: Nov 2025 (Fillmore St.) First visit: Apr 1998 (Santa Clara, CA) HQ: Costa Mesa, CA; Founded: 1980 (Los Angeles, CA) ---11/7/25 (Colorado Springs) Now here's a blast from the past. My first experience with El Pollo Loco was in Santa Clara while there on a consulting assignment. Since that time, I've visited El Pollo Loco's in West Hollywood, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, and North Richland Hills. The latter arrived in NE Tarrant towards the end of our stint there. It was also not very good, and that location has been long closed. Other than that fateful visit, our trips to El Pollo Loco had been a success. I never penned any notes about any of those trips. They just recently opened up here in the Springs (turns out to be their 500th location!), so Mrs. RJG and I decided to give a try again. Let's see how it went. Even before leaving the house, we'd read that the parking situation was no bueno. We got there at 10:45 before the crowds, and had no issues. ...

First visit: Nov 2025 ---11/7/25 We try to visit Canon City at least once per annum, though this year we've only passed through. We decided it was time to visit our favorite Colorado getaway which is Westcliffe, and made a point to have some lunch in Canon City on the way. We don't really have a regular eating spot in Canon City, though we were pleased with Bunkhouse Burgers that we tried for the first time last year. In reviewing restaurants, the town sports a number of fetching bars in downtown, that feature fine food. But it was lunch time, and neither of us felt like a libation. Especially since we knew we were going to splurge on ice cream at Sugarlump in Westcliffe. Up came Canon City MUGS, a place that has a dual personality, and that aspect is not reflected well on Google Maps. Essentially what you have here is two distinct restaurants, shared by an open door and the same kitchen. One serves primarily coffee, breakfast, and lunch. The other is a classic sports bar setup...

Latest visit: Oct 2025 (Briargate near Chapel Hills mall) First visit: May 2011 (Glendale, CO) HQ: Salt Lake City, UT; Founded: 1997 (St. George, UT) ---10/31/25 (Colorado Springs) It's been 14 years since I first went to a Cafe Rio, and have subsequently forgot about the original experience. I've been wanting to get over here for well over a year, since they first opened here in the Springs. It's not too far from where we live, but I'm just never in this area during lunchtime. Today I made it a priority. Cafe Rio is in every way similar to another Utah chain that we've covered extensively here in the RJG: Costa Vida. Get in line, and your counter server will pull out an aluminum round tray. I ordered the Rio Burrito, so first comes the big floppy flour tortilla. Filled with rice, and choice of pinto or black beans. Then a protein, and I went with the Fire Roasted Chicken. Essentially grilled and spiced chicken, cut into cubes. Then they add a salsa. Followed by you...

First visit: Oct 2025 ---10/31/25 Seems every other visit to Albuquerque reveals a new favorite Thai place, and then we dismiss it on the second try. Hopefully that doesn't happen here. One of the best Thai meals we've experienced in a long time. I ordered my Thai Basil "Thai style" and received it exactly as hoped. Loaded with smoky ground chicken, rice, tons of basil and peppers, and very spicy. I laid off Thai Hot only because we were traveling, but it's apparent I would have received it that way. They also provide Prik Nam Pla, and I loaded up on those oily spicy red cut peppers. I miss those flavors. Mrs. RJG had the Drunken Noodles with chicken, and loads of vegetables. She loved it. The restaurant is cozy inside, with plenty of plants and vegetation. As expected, to-go orders seem to dominate the kitchen's time. Pad Thai Cafe resides in the southeast part of town. It sits in one of those strip centers that features an international grocery store and a J...

First visit: Oct 2025 ---10/11/25 A week ago Friday, Mrs. RJG and I decided to take a mountain drive and take in the beautiful Fall colors of the Aspen trees. As we gradually ascended from Woodland Park to Cripple Creek, the trees were as golden yellow as I've ever seen in my life. Blue skies, cool weather, and bright yellow trees. What a site to behold. Traffic was slow, which was great, so I could also enjoy the scenery as the driver. We agreed then that we must take this drive every year around this time. Though we've been to Cripple Creek a few times over the years, we've never stopped to do anything. They legalized gambling here in 1991, but that didn't matter to me when I first arrived in 1993. Neither of us are into gambling, so it's just a matter of stopping and finding things to do. You know, like thrifting and eating. Which is exactly what we did. They have a nice thrift store BTW. The highest rated restaurant in town is The Creek. Looked like the perfect ...

First visit: Sep 2025 (Voyager) ---9/14/25 (Colorado Springs) Paris Baguette is a global chain based in Seoul, South Korea, who prices their items like we all live in the 3rd Arrondissement of Paris itself. Look what I got for 17 bucks. That's right, a pre-made sandwich (that they heated up for me) and a caramel macchiato. The sandwich is made onsite, and is actually quite good. Excellent bread and the ingredients were of a higher grade. But not that much better. I just cannot understand the economics of these places. If they charged a reasonable amount, say $10 or $11 (which is inline with other places I frequent), then I'd be a regular visitor. You have me in the door already, why chase me away? Think about it. Already on my second visit, you have 20 of my dollars. The employees and the food costs are already built in. By the third visit, you now have $30. And on it goes, where the profits and, more importantly revenue, continue to rise. The money is in the multiples. This i...

First visit: Aug 2025 (Voyager) Founded: 1978 (Palo Alto, CA) HQ: Newport Beach, CA ---8/30/25 (Colorado Springs) We often drove by Mountain Mike's as they were building out their new spot off of the feeder freeway from I-25 to Voyager. Having never been, Mrs. RJG and I were curious how good it is. We waited until football season, and on this fine Saturday at lunch we ordered online for takeout, a medium sausage pie to enjoy while watching a few plays of the Texas / Ohio State opener. Arch Manning is the starting quarterback. The grandson of Archie Manning, who I watched play for the Saints when I was a kid. There's just something magical and nostalgic about the first week of college football (and the NFL when it starts next week). The restaurant is a large space and is geared for both local takeout (they have delivery as well) as well as for diners. No doubt they wanted to be "close to the action" near the Ford Amphitheater. Upon arrival back home, Mrs. RJG had the ...

Latest visit: Aug 2025 (Voyager Pkwy.) First visit: Dec 2018 (Cascade Ave.) ---8/28/25 (Voyager) Much has changed in the world of Goat Patch since I last updated this post. All for the good. First they bought out Pikes Peak Brewing in Monument, but left the branding intact (hooray). And now they opened up a brewpub right here in RJG land. Across the street no less! In the same shopping center of RJG fave Zapata Tacos. This is the closest we've ever lived to a local brewery. And it seems they took our advice (and others I'm sure) that no one "owned the north" of Colorado Springs. Which is crazy considering this is one of the nicest parts of town. Of course it takes money to do that, but apparently Goat Patch has been very successful. So much so, they're also canning their beers. Likely because they took over Pikes Peak which did similar. I've been wanting to go since they opened, but there's always some reason why we didn't. Finally we found the perfect...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/30/25 I'm two weeks late in getting this post up and running. I was here for a Friday at lunch, not long after we returned from our trip to western Colorado. I've been meaning to add new places to the RJG but I often forget which ones, especially considering I could be anywhere in town. But on this day I made a point of coming over here. Happy Eats sits in the renovated part of South Nevada, an area they are still upgrading. It was quite rundown when we moved back to the Springs in 2018. It's a full service restaurant, so I grabbed a table, perused the menu (which I'd done online already), and ordered away. I was most curious how their Chicken Parm sandwich would be. First of all I must say that their website is the way to do it! Everything looks so delicious. Even better is that the photos aren't figments of the owner's imagination.  My sandwich came out better than hoped. Crispy and chewy bread , excellent red sauce, perfectly cooke...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/23/25 Leaving Bluff and heading to the Four Corners region of Arizona is a bit scary. There is nothing there. No signs of any kind of life, other than maybe snakes, spiders, and scorpions. You just pray your car will make it to civilization. Fortunately, Zippy (my Acura SUV with over 100,000 miles) was up to the task and eventually humans reappeared onto the landscape. As we entered New Mexico, the poor just gets poorer. There's not much to see here other than poverty. And an incredible nature structure known as Shiprock. And that's exactly what it looks like - a huge ship frozen in time, fossilized.  The oasis in this area is Farmington, a relatively pleasant town that seems much larger than it is. I was reminded of similar small towns in Oklahoma or Kansas. Plenty of shops and places to eat. Normal commerce that is to say. I'd never been here before and was curious for some years. We did some thrifting in downtown and then it was time for lunch...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/23/25 After Ridgway we took the gorgeous drive around Telluride and down to Cortez for a little thrifting. The landscape goes from stunning green mountains to boring arid desert pretty quickly once you drive through Dolores. I hadn't been to Cortez since 1994. There's not much to do or see there, but it makes for a nice stop. And 31 years ago I stayed overnight on my way to Tucson. We then headed over to southeast Utah, and our final destination was to be Bluff. What a day we had for travel, though. If you read the Lazy Dog Saloon review, you'll have noted that we had a 90 minute delay due to a bad car wreck. Once we drove into Utah, the roads immediately got much better. Beautifully paved and newly painted. As we were gliding towards our destination, signs for road construction started to pop up. Uh-oh. Yep, they were of the worst kind: The one way road. There were about four of these, and one of them took close to an hour wait. It was just madde...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/23/25 This was not the original plan. We started the day with a hike in Montrose, and then we were to journey to Telluride. Unfortunately there was a very bad wreck with casualties on US-550, which forced the state patrol to shut the freeway. The subsequent detour took us way out on a route that included unpaved roads. The delay was about 90 minutes. And we were the lucky ones, especially after Google Maps gave us a nice shortcut (making up for their transgressions with Spenny's yesterday - see Mochas review). And those going north most likely had a 3 to 4 hour delay. It didn't help that the detoured route had one lane closed for construction. What a complete mess. But we were all alive, so what's to complain about? We finally arrived at the thrift shop in Ridgway, a town we'd never stopped in before. Afterwards it was already lunch time, so why not eat here and we'll visit Telluride another day (maybe). It wasn't meant to be. Lazy Dog...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/23/25 Two years ago we stopped into Gunnison for some thrifting and Spenny's ice cream. Google Maps told us that Spenny's wasn't open until 4. Well that's stupid, why do that? As we drove out of town, we saw that Spenny's was indeed open. Nice work Google, making sure hard working people lose business. It was particularly frustrating after-the-fact because we had gone to Mochas instead for our ice cream. Despite the positive reviews, we weren't quite as impressed. The ice cream wasn't very creamy nor tasty. Not sure if they make their own or they get it from somewhere else. Service was slow as well. It certainly wasn't terrible, but this is not where we are going next time in Gunnison. 8/5/25  8/23/25 (new entry)

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/23/25 It's time for The RJG's to hit the road for our first trip to Western Colorado in two years! I had every intention of getting these writeups closer to the moment, but other activities called me away. I did, however, update the existing posts awhile back. So now it's been close to three weeks since we left. With that, these reviews will be short. Not that they're ever that long to begin with. Salida seemed like the perfect place to enjoy a breakfast, early lunch. Romeo's popped up and the reviews are excellent. It's an old fashioned breakfast house, and since it's still tourist season, there was a (short) waiting list even on a Tuesday morning. I've been getting in the mood lately for smothered burritos after taking a break, and you can see what I had. That green chile is absolutely outstanding. Crave-worthy actually. Very spicy with a distinct flavor I'd never experienced before. The interior was filled with eggs and ...

First visit: Aug 2025 ---8/2/25 I had no idea this place existed, and sits right next door to a thrift shop and flea market I frequent at least once a month. Tucked away on the street side of the strip mall, it's clear from the signage this place has been here a while. Walk in and order at the counter. Plenty of seating. They don't have a fountain machine, so you'll have to get your drinks by the bottle. I went for what they call a "Regular Feelin'" which is the traditional Philly Cheesesteak. It came out piping hot loaded with meats, diced onions, and gooey cheese. Excellent. The menu also had some fetching looking Italian sandwich items as well. Definitely an RJG Rotation addition. 8/1/25  8/2/25 (new entry)

Latest visit: Dec 2025 First visit: Jun 2025 ---12/30/25 I think it's late enough in the year to constitute this as our first revisit of 2026! On this visit, as promised, I brought along Mrs. RJG. I figured this was a can't miss proposition. Hot temperature, great sauce, crispy crust, homemade ingredients, including the sausage. And I was right! She loved it. We ordered a large Italian Sausage thin crust. We devoured most what you see on the right. We took four full slices home and that will constitute a part of our dinner. Absolutely delicious, and Billy's is easily the best pizza in town from our vantage point. I didn't mention it below, but be prepared for a long wait if you go here. Unless he has no customers. He's a one man operation, and I think Jim sees himself as an artisan. He's going to take his time to do it right, not fast. Which we at the RJG fully admire and appreciate. If you're starving and looking for a fast bite, don't go here. But if y...

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 Back home from our trip. It's the first Friday of the month, so I like to go to Pueblo and take advantage of the citywide 20% discount. This isn't mandatory but many establishments honor that tradition. Location: Located in downtown in a corner unit. It's a very small space without a bathroom. Two patio tables are available for seating outside. Perhaps because we enjoyed ice cream on our recent excursion to Detroit and back, I was in the mood for a dessert after enjoying Pass Key for lunch. I was already downtown digging for records, and discovered Craft Cones. As their name suggests, they make their own ice cream. I wanted coffee but they were out of it, so I went with their "Good 'Ol Chocolate". As the name suggests, you really can't go wrong with that selection. Had one scoop in a waffle cone. Sat outside on the table you see and devoured with much happiness. 6/6/25 6/15/25 (new entry)

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 After Des Moines, we were pretty much done with digging for the trip. If we had gone for another day, we for certain would have dedicated it to Omaha and Lincoln. But there simply wasn't time, and we drove around both cities. Kearney is a convenient stop in the middle of Nebraska. I stayed here for a similar reason on my journey from Denver to Winnipeg and Regina back in 2011 (as noted in the Crawford review). Location: This used to be Old Chicago, and unbelievably that's where I ate in my one prior trip to Kearney! So I've been to the building twice but the restaurant only once haha. Forgot to photo the building. Our hotel was a three minute walk away. Love when that happens! Food: Nebraska Ale Works is what I call a "craft tavern". Essentially the same as a brewpub except instead of their own beers, they bring in a variety of other craft beers. The best of these focus strictly on the state they're in. And that's precisely...

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 Now the drives are getting longer as we have essentially two days to get home. While we didn't exhaust Des Moines in our digging activities, we did manage to cover some quality ground. We're in the Midwest and we haven't had tacos yet? Need to solve that problem pronto! Location: Relatively elaborate Spanish exterior for a fast food joint, though once inside, the atmosphere becomes familiar. It's a large space, and it was very crowded while we were there. Another pre-pandemic type crowd.  My photo only captured the parking lot view, but their website shows the streetside. Food: Tasty Tacos has all the earmarks of a quality local chain. No over expansion to cheapen the product. So the gimmick here is what they call "fluffy flour tacos". So we ordered one of those and one crispy each. Uh-oh, Mrs. RJG does not like the concept of fluffy tacos at all. So she got my other crispy taco that you see and I ate the second flour taco. Tha...

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 After wrapping up in Ottawa, we made the journey west to the Quad Cities. I've never been prior, and made a point to stay on the Iowa side of the border. Like with Indiana, my experience in Iowa is quite limited. We haven't spent a night here since 2009 when we stayed in Des Moines. We had a memorable Italian dinner at Gino's, but they are now closed unfortunately. The last time I set foot in Iowa was in 2011 in Sioux City as I wanted to try Milwaukee Wiener House for lunch (excellent BTW) on my way to Winnipeg. Location: An expansive free standing building. Two stories including a large bar seating area. A great place to host an event, and there were at least two of those when we were there. Food: Fortunately Mrs. RJG was in the mood for another brewpub, and Crawford fit the bill. As with Evil Czech in Indiana, I was able to check off another state that I consumed a local beer in. The photo just shows my spicy breaded chicken sandwich. And ...

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 We were tired of the traffic of Chicago and were looking forward to getting back out to the country. Ottawa seemed like a quaint place, and it is. Completely different in feel, we were back in small town America. And what better way to enjoy a place such as this than with an ice cream. Location: They have two small stands next to each other. One is a walkup, while the other has a small interior. Patio styled seating outside. And we sat under one of those umbrellas you see in the background. Mrs. RJG was craving a chocolate / vanilla swirl soft serve and we each got one. One of those can't miss propositions. A wonderful mid afternoon snack. 6/1/25 6/15/25 (new entry)

First visit: Jun 2025 ---6/15/25 The plan on this Sunday was to work the far southern Chicago suburbs. I knew exactly what I wanted for lunch: BEEF. Location: Anchors a  modern strip mall. Typical fast food setup. I like the bright yellow with red text signage. Food: From about 1997 to 2004, I was in Chicago often, and we had an office in the inner ring suburb of Westchester. Nearby were towns like Bellwood, Broadview, and Maywood - each housing restaurants that said little more than Beef or Hot Dogs on the window. That's it. You don't go to these places looking for cage free eggs or quinoa. And you can see my beef and sausage in all its glory to your right. The au jus was on the side as we both don't like a mushy sandwich. I preferred the sausage just slightly over the beef. Mrs. RJG stayed with just beef. I feared she wouldn't like it as the bread started to mush up on the bottom. But she did really enjoy it much to my surprise. Said both the meat and the bread were r...

First visit: May 2025 ---6/14/25 Even though I've traveled extensively around the United States, Indiana is one state that I've barely touched. In fact I've only spent three nights here in total, and the last two were from the same trip in 1992. And the last time we ate in Indiana was at a barbeque place on the other side of Louisville, Kentucky on the way to Grand Rapids in 2015 (since closed). It's been 33 years since I spent a night here, so that was the plan after making a few stops in southern Michigan. I've never been to South Bend, the home of the famous Notre Dame. And we visited the campus briefly the next morning. We're at that stage of the trip where we aren't going to a brewery followed by dinner, but rather we're combining them in one stop. Location: A very large venue with a concert stage in the back, and a couple of big spaces inside. It's rare these days to get the feeling of 2019 back, but Evil Czech was a happening place on this Sat...

First visit: May 2025 ---6/13/25 They have a second location in town which seems more like a to-go only place. And a third place in nearby Michigan Center. On this Saturday morning I went very early to the Record Show in Livonia, and then the plan was to hit the road at about 10 or so in the morning (which we did). We were both ready for the road trip portion of the vacation. The long journey back to Colorado Springs. We were already on our third rental SUV as the first two didn't work out. Haha, so typical. We rented from Enterprise and they could not have been nicer and they bent over backwards for us. Their vehicles need an upgrade (badly), but can't complain about their customer service. Pizza was such a hit the day before, Mrs. RJG wanted another one! Well alll-right! And Andy's features both of the Detroit favorites including Coney Island. But we had pizza on the brain. Location: Standalone building. What we used to call a pizza parlor . Very friendly service. Food: W...